Rotary air compressor



Nov. 10, 1931. w, c, TYLER 1,831,272

ROTARY AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Dec. 14, 1927 INVENTOR Warren G E/er.

BY 1 5M I ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 10, 1931 PATENT OFFICE WARREN C. TYLER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ROTARY Ara ooMrnEssoa Application filed December 14, 1927. Serial No. 239,927.

" My present invention is referred to as a rotated in the direction indicated by arrows,

rotary air Compressor for the're'ason that it is particularly designed for use in producing moderate excess pressures,such as pressures exceeding atmospheric by only two or three pounds; but it should be understood that rotary units such as are herein described are also entirely suitable to be in roduced into gas mains, or the like, to obviate the necessity ll} for employing very high pressures at the inlet ends of such mains, in order satisfactorily to deliver gas to remote points,under an acceptable pressure and/ or at a desired rate.

It is an especial object of this invention in- 13 expensively to provide relatively simple and fans which are so disposed relatively thereto rugged blower or compressor units utilizing two or three or a larger number of fans,a central fan, of comparatively large diameter, being preferably employed vbetween feeder as to produce an equalization of end thrusts. All moving parts ofmy units maybe eccen trically positioned within a suitable housmg and so supported that, when driven by an inexpens ve exterior motor (not shown) a shaft which may be common to the compressor and the mentioned motor may practically float during its rapid rotation,

Other objects of my invention, including the optional use of special inlet connections andspecial bearings,and the incorporation of a stream-lined central disc in the largest of the mentioned fans (hereinafter referred to v as a booster fan) may be best appreciated from thefollowing description of an illuswith parts broken away and a lateral feed fan omitted. V

In that embodiment of my in venti on chosen for purposes of illustration, I show a pair of oppositely-acting lateral fans, respectiwly comprising blades 1, 1', as adapted, when stantially as indicated by the arrow B. but

to force air or any gas inward toward flattened and slightly concaved conical surfaces 2, 2 of a bilaterally symmetrical booster fan 3. The fan 3 comprises suitably spaced reaction elements or spanker blades 8, 3, shown as projecting from the surfaces 2, 2 and all of the mentioned fans may be confined within a suitable housing,-'-such as a two-part housing'comprising a main element 4 and a removable sideelement 5, these parts'being concave and associated with subsidiary housing elements in the form of intakes 6, 6. The last-mentioned elements are adapted not only to receive a shaft-7, provided with suitable bearings (ball bearings being suggestedat 8 and 8) but to admit air or other gas thru spaced openings 9, 9. v v i The side element of the described housing being rigidly but removably secured infamy suitable manner (as, by screws 10) a'ndthe booster fan being eccentrically disposed therein, any gas entering the openings 9, 9 (as, from a feed main 11) isso powerfully fed by the radial fans 2, 2 and radially advanced by the booster fan 3 as to be deliyered to any outlet 12 at a considerablyincreased velocity-implying a corresponding pressure differential.

When my described compressor unit is used to deliver ordinary air, the special intake connections 6, 6 may be dispensed with but when such a-unit is used at an intermediate point in a gas main, to secure a satisfactory rate of flow and/or delivery pressure, the feed main' 11 may be connected with the intake openings 9, 9 by means comprising, in addition to the mentioned optional connections 6, 6, a so-called Y13.* separable oints are suggested as suitable for-the removable attachment of. the mentioned Y with the intake connections 6, 6 (one of'these being apertured for the motor shaft 7 when the mentioned motor is external) said connections maybe secured in place by threaded or other oints; the outer elements of any bearings 8, 8, when separately formed, may be securediby a mere press fit or otherwise, the order of assembly being obvious; and means such-as suitable shoulders upon the shaft 7 may be relied on laterally to center a central disc or web 14, comprised in the booster fan 3, with reference to the main housing described,-the lateral clearance therebetween being preferably very limited.

It will be seen that the fans 1, 1, as rotated by the shaft 7 or its equivalent, so force air or gas toward the disc lt (preferably provided with the mentioned concavo-conical surfaces 2, 2', favorable to a radial component in the flow thereover) as to produce a substantial balance of thrusts upon the shaft 7. The latter is presumed to be identical with or directly coupled to the shaft of a suitable electric or other motor, immaterial to this invention, and the booster fan 3, of larger diameter and correspondingly higher peripheral speed, is thus constantly fed, by fans, 1, 1', with air or gas to be spanked outward by the siream-lined blades 3, 3",- for delivery into a substantially crescentshaped chamber or space 15 and thence thru any suitable outlet 12, the illustrated outlet being integral with the main housing element v 5. The provision of the disc 14 in fact, permits material pressure to be built up adjacent the axis of the booster fan 3, so that the.

flow of gas transversely of the path of delivery of fan 3 will help this fan to deliver gas not only at a higher velocity, but at considerably increased pressure. The transverse feeder fans 1, 1 are purposely made large enough to secure this excess pressure.

It will be obvious that when my compressors are used in the delivery of illuminating gas, or the like, rather than ordinary air, usual or special packings and glands may be employed as required; and that both the eccentric position, with a minimum clearance at 16, and the mentioned small lateral clearances of the blades 3, 3 of the booster fan 3 (as compared with the clearances of the feeder fans 1, 1) as well as the provision of sharp leading and following edges on blades 3, 3" are favorable to high efficiency; and also that, whether or not the hubs or other parts of the described fans are united with one another but separate from shaft 7, all parts may be inexpensively formed by such operations as casting and die-pressing; but I may state that my novel, simple and efficient compressor units (in which I may employ any even or uneven number of fans related in the described manner) are more particularly intended for the inexpensive production of moderate pressures or vacuua, -such as two or three pounds above or below atmospheric pressure.

Although I have herein described a single complete embodiment of invention, it will be obvious that an application of the principles of this invention to the handling of liquids, rather than gases, or even to the generation of power by the interposition of a suitable unit in a stream of fluid, would require only an intelligent re-design of my unit for the particular purpose in view; and I accordingly emphasize, in conclusion, the fact that various parts of this unit might be independently used, and also the fact that numerous modifications thereof might easily be devised,without involving even a slight departure from the spirit and scope of this invention, as indicated above and in the following claims.

Claims:

1. For use in a unit of the general character described: a two-part housing whose respective parts are provided with lateral gas-admission openings; bearings in said housings; a pipe; subsidiary housing elements adapted to cover said bearings and connecting between said lateral openings and said pipe; lateral delivery fans, one at each side of the housing and drawing in gas at the openings; and a booster fan centrally disposed between the lateral delivery fans.

2. For use in a unit of the general character described: a two-part housing whose re spective parts are provided with lateral gas admission openings; bearings in said housings; a pipe; subsidiary housing elements adapted to cover said bearings and connecting between said lateral openings and said pipe,said pipe comprising a Y to which said subsidiary housing elements are reinovably secured; lateral. delivery fans, one at each side of the housing and drawing in gas at the openings; and a booster fan centrally disposed between the lateral delivery fans.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature. v

' WARREN C. TYLER. 

